5 Tips For Successfully Starting A New Job by Patrick Ogunnaike

This article was originally written for all job seekers, but we felt it applied especially well to employees of staffing companies.

Congratulations! You've got the job. What now?

It's never easy starting a new job and being the new person at work, whether this is your first job or you've worked at several different companies already.

Now, depending on how you act in the next couple of weeks, you will either be on the fast track up the ranks of the company, or you might be facing the hardest career stint of your entire life. To make sure you won't be going on the latter route, here are a few tips to help you get settled in your new post:

1. Be Early
This immediately shows that you value the opportunity you've been given and immediately separates you from the rest of the pack. It also gives you a chance to relax into the position because you're not rushing to get into the office on time. You get to chill out and perhaps even get to talk to your new boss or co-workers in a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere before 9 a.m. hits and everyone is back in corporate work mode.

2. Be Friendly and Positive
Talk to people in the break and lunch rooms. Get to know who the important people are in the different departments, and if appropriate, invite them out to lunch sometime. These important people aren't just the bosses and the other supervisors; they can even be your co-workers that have the respect of the other employees. Be humble, try to see what you can learn from them and try to offer them value back. This builds more than just a great reputation, but also reciprocity.

3. Play Out the Office Politics
If your new job is in a position that someone else inside the company wanted to have, find out who that person is and go out of your way to help him. Though they will not warm up to you immediately, eventually they will come to respect you and your position in the company.

4. Find Your Pace
Most newcomers often make the mistake of over-performing on their first few days, and these unfortunate people find themselves burned out before their first paycheck. Take things slow, do your job as well as you can for the first few days and then raise the bar higher after.

5. Don't Claim to Be Something You Are Not
Bragging about being an expert, even though you are not, is a great way to get into lots of trouble. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help from your co-workers.

If you play your cards right, not only will you be impressing the bosses in no time flat, you will also earn the respect of your co-workers, which for some people is even more important. By following the tips mentioned above, you will more or less make the transition to your new job smoothly. And who knows? You may find yourself climbing up the ranks of the company sooner than you think.


Patrick Ogunnaike is an entrepreneur, writer, and marketer based in Toronto, Canada. This article originally ran on his site, TheMankipedia.com, which gives advice to men on careers, finances, relationships and health. http://www.themankipedia.com/5-tips-successfully-starting-job/.